Boston Celtics coach Brad Stevens has not ruled out the possibility of point guard Rajon Rondo recovering from a fractured left hand to play on opening night.

Rondo underwent a re-evaluation last week which showed progress in his recovery from a fractured left hand, but he has not yet been cleared for contact with just eight days remaining before the Celtics start their campaign against the Brooklyn Nets on October 29.

The Celtics star noted that he only suffered the injury three weeks ago and that the bone will not have completely healed yet. That would tie in with the window of rehabilitation that president of basketball operations Danny Ainge gave when he insisted that it would take between six and eight weeks for a recovery.

“I don’t know. I still haven’t had any contact yet,” Rondo said when asked about playing on opening night.

“The opener is a little bit over a week away. I don’t want to set goals; I just want to go as my hand heals.”

Rondo should be cleared for contact this week but much will then depend on his comfort level in playing with the injury and how he feels handling the ball. He insists that he can dribble and catch with no problem, but an issue could arise if he hits the floor or goes into the lane where there is a significant chance the hand could receive contact.

Any additional padding will have to be approved by the NBA before Rondo can wear it in a game situation but Stevens is keen to keep the possibility open that he could have his starting point guard back available for next week.

Rondo has also been the subject of intense trade speculation for months, and it is still suggested that he will be available if he does not agree on a new deal in the coming weeks.